Apparatus for cooking canned goods.



E. A. SIMS.

APPARATUS FOR COOKING CANNED GOODS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-1,1915.

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APPARATUS FOR COOKING CANNED GOODS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1915.

L lfifififi Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

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BY M M A TTOR/VEY EDGAR A. SIMS, orron'r rownsnrm, WASHINGTON.-

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APPARATUS FOR COOKING CANNED GOODS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application filed December 4, 1915. Serial No. 64,966.

supporting shelves therein which are arranged so that the cans which are supplied thereto will by the force of gravity be suitably distributed over such shelves and be discharged by gravity after the cooking has been completed.

A further object is to provide automatic. appliances to facilitate the supply and delivery of the goods to and from the cooking vessel.

- The invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in vertical section of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the same, partly in plan and partly in section, said section being taken substantially through 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevational view with parts broken away. Fig. 4: is a detail sectional view through 4- 1 of Fig. 1.

The reference numeral 10 designates a vessel, conventionally known as a retort, in which the cooking of canned goods is performed through the medium of steam supplied to the interiopof the retort as by the perforated portion 11 of a pipe 12 leading from a steam generator.

13 represents a drain pipe through which the' steam and condensations thereof are withdrawn from the retort. Valves 12 and 13 are provided for regulating the passage of fluids therethrough.The retort is open at each end with doors 14 and 14 therefor which are illustrated as slidably mounted in guideways 15 provided in the heads or reinforcing rings 16 secured to the respective ends of the retort.

Within the retort and extending approximately its entire length is a plurality of superposed shelves 18, 18 etc., which are inclined to about fifteen degrees from horizontal. At the sides of the shelves are walls- 19 which converge toward the lower ends to afford contracted discharge openings which are normally closed by bars 28 having their ends inserted in the wall slots 19.

The cans of goods are supplied by a power-driven conveyer belt B and are transferred to the upper ends of the shelves successively by the following described feeding devices: Such feeding devices comprise an inclined way in the form of a trough 20 having supporting wheels 21 and 22 at its upper and lower ends, which respectively track on rails 21 and 22 The upper end of the trough 20 is curved, as at 23, and has a finger 24 extended from the trough rail 20 across the conveyer belt to direct the cans from the latter to the trough and upon which they slide down until diverted therefrom through the medium of an inclined transfer chute 25 to a selected one of the shelves. This transfer chute is provided with side rails and its inlet end, at least, is of less width than the distance between the trough rails 20 and 20 to enable it to be introduced between the same and rest upon the floor portion of the trough. The chute 25 is curved to have its outlet end terminate in proximity to the upper end of an associated shelf, and is maintained centrally of the width of the shelf by being interposed between channel-bars 26 rigidly connected to the upper ends of the shelves.

25 represents a rod secured to the underside of the chute and having its ends extend into the channels 26 of said bars to prevent the withdrawal of the chutes from the shelf.

The chute is slidably connected by attachments 27 to the side rails 20 and 20 of the trough and being constrained against lateral movements by said guide-bars the chute will be raised or lowered by forward or rearward movements of the trough.

In charging the retort, the transfer chute is engaged at its ends between the trough rails 20 20 and the bars 26 and the trough moved endwise to adjust the chute to present its discharge end in a plane with the upper shelf. When this has been efi'ected, the cans removed from the belt through the agency of the finger 24 will slide down the trough and chute upon the upper end of the top shelf and thence the cans will slide down the shelf direction indicated by arrow A in the views,

to allow the chute to descend to the shelf next below, which, in turn, is supplied with cans, and so on until all of the shelves have been loaded with cans; after which the trough and chute are removed and the door 14 is closed and also the other door 14 which, however, may remain closed during the above explained filling operation. With the doors both closed, the valve 12 is opened to admit steam to heat the retort and maintain the same at a suitable temperature for a predetermined time, according to the character of the articles to be cooked and the size of the containing cans therefor. When the cooking has been completed, valve 12 isclosed and after the valve 13 is opened for the escape of the steam from the retort, the

door 14 is opened for the removal of the canned goods, which is accomplished by means of a chute 29 and a trough 30 which deliver them to a power-driven conveyer belt B More particularly, the chute 29 is connected like the aforesaid chute. between two bars 26 secured to the lower ends of the shelves, and extends into the trough 30, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In like manner to the other trough, the trough 30 is mounted on wheels 31 and 32 which track on rails 31 and 32 The adjustment of the chute 29 to the various shelves is regulated by moving the trough in one direction or the other and upon removing the respective bar 28, the cans will slide from a shelf and successively through ,the referred to chute and trough onto the belt B to be conveyed away.

The construction and operation of the invention will, it is thought, i be understood from the foregoing.

What I claim, is- I 1. In cooking apparatus of the class described, a vessel, having inclined shelves arranged one above the other, means to feed the goods to be cooked upon the upper ends of the shelves selectively, meansfor deliver ing the goods from the lower ends thereof, and devices provided for the respective shelves whereby the goods are guided to the second named means.

2. In cooking apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vessel having a series of superposed shelves, and a belt conveyer, of an inclined trough for conducting canned goods from said conveyer, and a vertically a justable chute for transferring such goods from the trough to a selected one of said shelves.

3. In cooking apparatus, the combination with-a vessel containing shelves inclined to afford sliding movements to canned goods supplied thereto on their ends, and a conveyer, of an inclined trough movable longitudinally of said conveyer, a finger for directing the cans from the conveyer to said trough at various positions of the latter, and means regulated by adjusting the position of the trough to efiect the delivery therefrom of the cans to a selected one of said shelves.

4. In cooking apparatus, the combination with a cooking vessel containing a series of superposed spaced shelves, and a belt-conveyer, of a chute which is inclined to enable canned goods placed thereon to slide toward its lower end, a trough adjustably connected to the chute, means rendered effective by the travel of said conveyer to conduct the cans from the conveyer into the upper end of said trough, and means to transfer the cans from selected positions lengthwise of said trough onto predetermined of said shelves.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a vessel having a series of superposed shelves, and a belt conveyer located at a higher elevation than said vessel, means actuated by the travel of said conveyer to remove goods from the conveyer, and inclined transfer devices upon which' the goods are slidable by the force of gravity whereby the goods removed from said conveyer are conducted onto the respective shelves.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a vessel having a series of shelves, a conveyer, a horizontally movable trough for conducting goods from said conveyer, a chute operatively connected to said trough, and means associated with said vessel whereby the horizontal movements of said trough will effect vertical movements of the chute to enable the goods to be transferred from the trough to a selected one of the shelves.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 24th day of November 1915.

- EDGAR A. SIMS. Witnesses:

E. PETERSON, HORACE- BARNES. 

